Most people think of coffee as brain fuel — it wakes them up, makes them more alert, and helps them power through a tough day at work. One innovative entrepreneur in London, however, is showing the world that coffee can fuel more than just minds.

Arthur Kay, a graduate of University College London’s architecture program, was developing a blueprint for a coffee roaster when he had a bright idea. Why not use the 200,000 tons of coffee grounds produced in the city of London each year to generate energy? The world has long been on the hunt for alternative fuel sources, and Kay was confident that used coffee grounds would be a viable one.

Opening a facility called Bio-Bean, Kay tapped into the city’s huge arsenal of used coffee grounds, and started pressing them through a special machine to extract their oils. The oil can then be converted to a pellet form and used to heat buildings. Alternatively, the coffee oil can be kept in its liquid state and used to power the city’s public buses.

Kay has received quite a bit of recognition for his coffee recycling idea, which we can only guess he came up with after enjoying a few cups of the good stuff himself. The recipient of the Mayor’s Low Carbon Prize, he is truly an innovator who is changing the world, one bean at a time.

We like to think that one day, recapturing energy from used coffee grounds will become mainstream, and our Hawaiian Ka’u coffee will not only fuel minds, but also buses and furnaces. In the meantime, we invite you to try the delicious Hawaiian Ka’u coffee from Hawaii’s Local Buzz. Visit our website to learn more about this and our other fine products, made from ingredients grown on our own family farm.